Taking antibiotics has slowed me down so that I take naps in the afternoon instead of beading. Also beading these full sized animals takes a lot longer. I did get the worm done but I see I do need to make the book so he stands up.A book that size will take at least a couple of more days. I wanted to at least show you the worm. Before I knew that I would need to make the book I started on this.

The Howlidog - a dog for the holidays. I am going to run out of the white beads soon. Thank goodness the month ends soon and Vicki will be doing another order. I beaded on ear on the underside first and found out it gets too stiff. So I started the topside of the other ear. I am hoping that removing a few rows on the underside of the first ear will allow it to hang down. It is hard to believe that the red beads on the ear are the same as the purplish beads on the tail of the worm. I am glad I added the brighter pinkish beads at the very tip to draw the eye back to the head.

 Here is Topper, his proper name, in (well almost in) his box ready to go. Barbara stopped by and as soon as she saw him she whisked him off to the gallery. He is now being shown at CHAC in Point Arena.She also wanted to get some crystals for her ornament for Diane Naumann's new gallery Christmas tree in Gualala. She found what she wanted and gave me the idea to add a crystal drop to my old idea of the puff stars.

It took two days to make this. I was afraid the crystal would change the look of the star, but it really doesn't. I do like the the idea that the crystal makes the star shine in prism colors! I made this with 11s that have a glass basis but a gold metallic covering. I had accidentally ordered a pound of them so you will be seeing this bead again! Probably not on stars though. I was surprised how irritated I was while making this. As soon as the bead tray with the animal was back on my lap I felt calmer and happier. Too weird for words!

The giraffe is done! My biggest animal yet! Ten inches tall. I am so very happy with him. I just need to take a photo that does not cut off his hoof! I am so pleased when the original eyes work! They are better than buttons or beads.

I started on the big beanie baby worm last night, and today my eBay Magic the Dragon arrived. I did not realize Ty made a dragon (there is not a teenie beanie baby dragon - I made my own). I was messing around on my little laptop because I felt too sick to bead and I found not only one, but two and the second one had 2 unicorns with it. I am very happy with new animals on the horizon and the hope that the antibiotic may yet even work

Doesn't he have an adorable face? I still need to do the muzzle and a few places above the eyes. Last night I was able to start up the fronts of the legs so I am hoping I can get to the body today. I am able to do these animals faster than I did a year ago. I would have to say practice, if it doesn't make perfect, it at least makes speed.

#725 posting

The autumn sun was so bright on the photo table that I could not really see what the camera saw - hence the missing hoof. You can see the neck I did yesterday. I love seeing how the skin pattern translates into the bead pattern at the edges.

I just realized that this photo shows the beading on the inside of the legs more than the one above. At first I rejected this shot because of the overlap of the ears and the horns, but I see it does have value.

I wanted you to see the giraffe I am working on. You are going to be looking at this one for a long time since I am doing it in 11s so it goes very slowly. If you look very closely you can see the beads on the tummy. I have finally learned to start beading any animal on the tummy and under the legs first. That way I have the freedom to bend the leg aside in order to get the needle in the tight spaces on the inside of the legs. Then I bead the inside of the legs. Only giraffes make doing the neck so easy. If I had the energy I would go to the B & B preserve, on the edge of Point Arena to observe their 5 giraffes.

I was reading in Art Dolls, the magazine Fire Mountain folks sent to me with their (our) ad on the back, and I saw that they have contest theme for their next summer's issue on mermaids. While wondering how to make a mermaid out of beanie babies, my glance wondered to the bookcase where I had this figure.I had made it several years ago while covering fishing lures.

 I think it is a diamerm - a backwards mermaid! Instead of having a human head and fish body, this has human legs and a fishy face! I took this shot to see if I can hide the plastic box she stands in. I am not good at retouching photos so I may have to hang her. It would be easier to retouch out a string rather than the box and all of its shadows. I had planned to make some kind of a spiny tail that hooked on to that loop on the lure but never got it just right. So here I hung a pendant from Judy Carr. She wire weaves and this piece looks a bit net-like. I am still thinking what would be best here.For Whom the Bell Trolls?

I did get the cat finished! Here he is with his whiskers! They add so much to the face.
I did start on the giraffe.So far so good.

The fuzzy polar bear with his icicle face and paw pads. Only as I was cleaning up my desk did I realize I had no picture of him. Now my Virgo soul can go take a nap again. I still have the tail of the Siamese cat to do. I started it last night by sewing from cat butt to tail tip but the beads would not lie flat so I ripped them all out, went to bed and plan to finish it today. I did get the purse done and I finally have an adequate method of doing the bottoms. It has taken me three tries to learn how to do them.